Sunday, September 11, 2011

Cinema Connection--1930s Inspired Peter Pan Collar Trend for Fall

One of the strongest micro trends for Fall 2011 is the Peter Pan collar. This slight school girl look was seen on many a runway, including Giambattista Valli, DKNY, and Marc Jacobs. Marc used it most prominently in his collection for Louis Vuitton where leather white collars (often detachable) were paired with 1930s inspired dresses.

Extremely popular in that particular decade, one notable movie moment the collar can be traced to is Claudette Colbert in 1934's It Happened One Night. You can see how many of the details from her famous costume were carried forward--the laser-cut ruffled edge in the collar, oversized buttons down the front, tone on tone patterns in the rich fabric, and slim fit skirts flaring just below the knee. The 30s were also referenced in his collection's exaggerated pantyhose and classic shoes.

Though I admire the artistry and talent these reinterpretations take, they're actually a bit too much for my own personal style. In my opinion, Columbia costume designer Robert Kalloch got it just right on Claudette, including that great skinny belt to accentuate her waist. Always inspirational, I continue to be amazed at how everything in fashion can find its origins in film.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Style Essentials--Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in 1934's IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Frank Capra's It Happened One Night is an important film in Hollywood history as it was the first movie to sweep all five of the major awards at the Oscars - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. That feat would not be accomplished again until 1975, showing just how incredible a film it is. Even more incredible is the challenge that each of these areas presented to producers when the movie was being made. At the time, it was considered "just another bus picture" with a lackluster original screenplay and combative conflict among all the key players. As a result, no one expected very much from the project. When Claudette Colbert completed the film, she was known to complain to a friend, "I've just finished the worst picture in the world."

Claudette was far from being the first choice to play the lead and many actresses were considered before her, including Myrna Loy, Miriam Hopkins, Constance Bennett, Carole Lombard, and Bette Davis before casting ended with Claudette. And even then, she was extremely reluctant to take the part, having been directed by Capra once before in a project she despised. She fought and fought, finally agreeing to do It Happened One Night for double her usual salary and only if filming could be finished in a ridiculously tight timeframe so she could go work on a project she actually wanted to do.

There's a lot of talk in this tale about lead Clark Gable as well, some true and some possibly not true. Columbia was considered the worst of the studios at the time, one of the studios considered part of "Poverty Row" and even nicknamed "Siberia" by people like MGM boss Louis B. Mayer. MGM regularly exiled contract players there who were behaving badly and Clark was one such actor, someone who was on the rise in popularity and whose ego studio executives believed was in need of a spanking. He came to this project with an attitude, both belligerent and allegedly drunk at the first production meeting, yet he learned to love both Capra and the part of reporter Peter Warne that seemed custom made for him.

In fact, Clark was a sensation in the role, both because of his talent and his costumes. His traveling ensemble in the movie was a trench coat, Norfolk jacket, and v-neck sweater over a button-down shirt, and this set off a trend in men's fashion. From that point on, Clark considered the trench lucky and frequently wore one in his subsequent pictures. He also appears in a black wool gabardine suit in the last part of the film and looks as close to perfection as any man can get. Designers still try to emulate his classic style in their collections today and stylists frequently use Clark as a role model in men's magazines like GQ. But the biggest impact of the film was when Clark appears bare-chested at the motel and shows Claudette how different men undress. When audiences saw that he chose not to wear an undershirt, which was considered a staple of the time, sales of the foundation garment in stores stalled. There are many reports that those sales dropped as much as 30%.

Designer Robert Kalloch does a spectacular job with the costumes in It Happened One Night. This is not a surprise as he was a designer with incredible talent, skill, and experience. Columbia head Harry Cohn recruited him from the international Lucile couturier, where his clients ranged from royalty to socialites. They also included Cohn's wife Joan. In addition to Clark's outstanding fashion in the film, Claudette is outfitted beautifully. As socialite Ellie Andrews, she is dressed in the finest silk at the beginning and end of the film. And her traveling ensemble with its Peter Pan collar, striped sweater, and below-the-knee bias cut skirt is still highly influential in fashion today. Kalloch also does an incredible job of creating subtle variations in the actors' outfits during their travels through the designer's astute use of layers. As a result, there are many different looks in the film and the audience always feels like they're seeing something new.

It Happened One Night deserves all the accolades it has received. This is a movie that was created in 1934 and yet it seems fresh and fun every time I see it. And because of the great story and direction, strong chemistry among all of the actors, and style for the ages, I have seen it many many a time including on the big screen. The success of the film came not from critics but from the audience's word-of-mouth, so I continue that tradition now in encouraging you to see and enjoy it, too.